Hoisting tongs



July 18,1950 Q R. w. WEEKS ETAL 2,515,918

HOISTING TONGS Filed Nov. 7, 1946 Patented July 18, 1950 Robert W. i Weeks and Russell L. Black, West Chester, Pa; said Black assignor to said Weeks I I Application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,278

This invention relates to handling and hoisting tongs for use in conjunction with hoisting machines, cranes, block and tackle equipment and the like, to lift objects such as barrels, drums, heavy metal plates or other objects having oppositely projecting rims or edges or undercut portions. j l l In prior known arrangements the gripping members or hooks of the tongs'are urged'towards each other to engage th'ophdsiteprojecting edges or portions of'a drum or other object only during, and as a result of, the liftingaction. This necessitates that a workman apply the hooks or grippin 'members to the desired portions of the object to be lifted and hold-them in position during the first stages of thelifting' opera'tionuntil sufiicient lifting force has been applied to insure that the object "is gripped with'sufficient strength to avoid accidental release. Such mode of operation requires close cooperation between the hoist operator and workman, and necessarily and obviously involves a risk of injury to the workman. Further, in such arrangement the tongs are of no practical use to the Workman in handling or positioning the object engaged thereby independently of the hoist or crane'and the lifting force imparted thereby, sincethegrip of the grippin members on the object is dependent on the lifting force applied by the hoist or lifting mechanism.

The primary objects of the presentinventio'n are;to provide tongs which can be operatively applied to a barrel, drum or otherobject to resiliently grip the same and remain in operative position" thereonprior to the appl'icationof the lifting force so that the'workman, havingapplied the tongs to the object, may stand clear ofthe object and avoid risk of injury during application of the lifting force; to provide such tongs' wherein application 'of the lifting force 6 Claims. (01. ear-7s) will increase and "supplement the existing resilient grip of the tongs on the object being lifted thereby, thus further decreasing the chances of accident or injury to the workman or workmen; and to provide such a tongswherein the gripping members or jaws are connected by a rigidmemher or bar which may be graspedby the workman and used in the manner of a handle tofacilitate manual handling or positioning of .the ob- Further objects are: to provide in such tongs a with objects of variou sizes or of various'size ranges; to provide such a tongs wherein the gripping members may be normally maintained in spaced relation to facilitate their application to the objects intended to be engaged'thereby; to providesuch a device which may be easily and quickly applied to the object by a workman standing adjacent one end thereof; and toprovide tongs embodying the above enumerated advantages which are exceedingly strong, eflicien simpleand of economical construction.

'Figure .2, an enlarged detail end elevation of the tongs showin a portion only of the lifting or tension element or cable; and

-- Figure 3, an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing one end portion of the tongs.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the letter D therein designates any usual form of metal drum or barrel having oppositely projecting rims or cylindrical flange portions R, said drum D being merely illustrative of various types of barrels or objects with which my invention may be used.

The numeral l designates a rigid connecting and handling bar which may comprise a length of commercially available metal pipe. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the pipe I is formed with a series of transverse'holes I" extending therethrough and being spaced apart along the length of thebar for purposes apparent hereinafter.

Slidably disposed on the bar I for linear move.- ment thereon are a pair of cooperating gripping members or jaw members or hooks 2. Each of the :members 2 is preferably formed as an integralpiece of metal such as steel, by-suitabl'e casting or metal stamping and bendingoperations in-accordance with known practice. Each such member 2 comprises a medial, portion 3 formed with a bore 4 which slidably receives the haul and to this end is of larger diameter than the bar I; an'upwardly projecting fastening; por-- tion 5 formed with an aperture 6 through which the tension element hereinafter described maybe passed; and a depending hook orjaw portion comprisin an outwardly projecting upper section I and a reversely bent inwardly projecting freev end section 8 which is vertically spaced from the section 1 to provide an opening or space to receive the projecting rim or flange R of a drum, barrel or other object.

The two hooks or gripping members 2 are disposed in oppositely facing spaced relation on the bar I with the free ends 8 of their respective hook portions projecting inwardly towards each other.

Suitable means are employed for resiliently urging the gripping members towards each other. The preferred means employs helical coil springs 9 slidably coaxially disposed on the bar I .01.; the end portions of the bar exteriorly of the respective gripping members 2. The springs 9 are maintained under linear compression with their outer ends abutting against suitable abutment means such as the cotter pins HJ disposed through transverse holes I in the bar I, and their inner ends pressing resiliently inwardly against the said respective gripping members 2.

Preferably the range of inward movement of the members '2 is limited by suitably .Vdisposed stops such as thecotter' pins l 1 extending through tran'sv'erseholes l' of-the bar I. normally maintain the gripping members 32 in engagement with said stops H in inoperative position prior to application of the tongs'to a 'bar- The springs *9 rel or other object so that the member 2 will I be requiredrto beseparated only a relatively short distance to be applied :to barrels, drums, or other objects of lengths within the range of movement of the members.

The gripping members 2 may the adjusted .to-

members 2 in'suitab'ly located holes I, :to adjust i/h'etongs for application to objects of varying sizes.

' The aforementioned tension or lifting element of the preferred embodiment of the invention will'preferably consist of a usual flexible wire rope or cable I2extendi'ng between and having its free ends connected or anchored in suitable fashion to the respective gripping members 2, said element being provided medially between its .ends with a loop or eye 13 or other equivalent means for receiving the hook of a hoisting machine or crane cable, or otherwise being connected thereto, whereby lifting force supplied by said crane, hoisting machine or other lifting device will produce tension in the cable use urge the gripping members 2 towards each other."* "In the embodiment illustrated, cable 12 is formed by passing the free ends l5 thereof through -a.compression f1tting I' l which is moved :to the position illustrated and then tightly 400m pressed upon the portions of the cable received therein "to inaintainisame' in relatively fixed positions and form the loop or eye I3-as shown.

After the fitting 1 4 is applied as above, the free ends l5 of the cable are each-passed outwardly through compression fittings IE-which are preferably similar to the fitting :M, then threaded through the apertures or holes :6 of "their respective members :2, following which said ends are re- 'verse'ly'bent and inserted inwardly into their respective'fittings IS. The fittings l6 are then compressed into tight engagement with the cable portions contained therein to maintain the end portions of the cable 12" in looped formation se- 'curely attached to the gripping members 2, as

shown. A thimble 12a is included in each of the loops; see Figures 2 and 3.

While various known types of compression or other fittings or arrangements may be employed in place of the fittings l4 and I6, we prefer to employ the type of fitting illustrated herein, said fitting and the manner of constructing and applying same being fully and clearly illustrated and described in the co-pending application Se- ,rial No. 661,682, filed April 12, 1946. The use of such a fitting will insure an unusually strong and economical construction.

While the above described form of tension element i2 is the form preferred by us, this particular form is not essential to our invention and need not be flexible, but may comprise any equivalent arrangement so long as the free or outer ends of the tension member are connected to the members 2 and the two portions of the tension member on either side of the medial .attaching means 3 may be disposed in varying angular relationships to each other as the lifting force is applied, 2130 urge the members '2 towards each pther.

the operation of the invention, which is believed to be apparent from the foregoing description, the device may be adjusted to grip drums, .barrels or -=othe,r objects within various ranges of sizes by so positioning the abutment pins H) in holes 1 that the distance between these pins is substantially greater than the .distance between the opposed flanges or rims B of {the -drums or other :objects D, so that the gripp n -mem ers 2 a be retracted o ov d ap t .sufiiciently to permit application and removal .of-same from theobject D.

The inner stop pins 1 I are placed in holes .I at a distance from each other which is somewhat less than the length pf the drums or objects D to avoid interference with the engagement .by the members 2 with the rims or edges R thereof.

In applying the device to a .drum or object, the workman may grasp the device by the bar and hook the end :8 of the jaw portion of one 0-frthe gripping members 2 under the edge or r-im R atone end (of the object D. Then by pulling :on the bar 1 towards the opposite end of the object D. the member "2 thus initially applied will be linearly retracted against its spring 9 to per.- rnit movement 19f the other member 2 past its respective flange or rim R, whereupon the unapplied member 2 may have its end portion -8 hooked around the adjacent rim R and the pull .on the bar -I may be relaxed to permit the hook o .engage its respective rim R. Or, if the size .Qf the object Dis such that retraction of the initially applied member -2 w net permit ppliicationrofthe other gripping member 2, the other member :may be manually retracted against its spring :9 1a .sufficient distance to permit it to be applied as aforementioned.

As thus applied, the members '2 will be resili vently maintained in proper operative gripping enga ement with the drum or object D by the action of the springs 9, and the bar I may be grasped and used in the manner of a handle to facilitate manual handling ,or positioning of the object D. In Figure '1 of the drawing, portions of the rims R are broken away to show how the 'hook portions 18 engage the inner edge of the rims.

Either before or after the device of the invention is thusapplied to the object 'to be lifted, the loop or eye [3 thereof may be slipped over the lif-tinghook of a crane, :hoistingmachine, block and tackle apparatus, or other lifting device, preferably while said hook is maintained stationary.

Thereafter, the Workman may stand clear and out of danger as the crane is operated to lift the tongs and the object engaged thereby. As the lifting force is applied it will be seen that the tension exerted on the cable will produce a force proportionate to the weight of the object D tending to urge the two gripping members 2 into gripping engagement with said object D, the force thus added supplementing the resilient gripping force supplied by the springs 9.

We claim:

1. Handling and hoisting tongs for objects having oppositely disposed undercut portions comprising, a rigid bar formed with a series of spaced transverse holes therethrough, a pair of opposed gripping members slidably disposed on said bar, said members respectively comprising, medial mounting portions formed with bores therethrough to slidably receive said bar, depending hook portions opening towards each other, and upwardly projecting apertured fastening portions; means for resiliently urging said gripping members towards each other comprising removable abutment pins disposed through and projecting from said transverse holes exteriorly of said gripping members, and coil springs on said bar and compressed between said gripping members and their respective adjacent abutment pins; and stop pins disposed through said transverse holes inwardly from said respective gripping members to limit the inward movement thereof; in combination with a flexible tension member extending between and having its outer free ends looped through and secured to said respective upwardly projecting apertured fastening portions, and an attaching loop formed at the medial portion of said tension member to be engaged by a lifting device, whereby a lifting force applied to said attaching loop will supplement the force supplied by said springs in urging said gripping members towards each other.

2. Handling and hoisting tongs for objects having oppositely disposed projecting portions comprising, a rigid connecting and handling bar; a pair of opposed gripping members slidably disposed on said bar, said members respectively comprising medial mounting portions formed with bores therethrough to slidably receive said bar, depending hook portions opening towards each other, and upwardly projecting apertured fastening portions; means for resiliently urging said gripping members towards each other comprising, abutment members disposed on said bar exteriorly of said respective gripping members, and coil springs slidably disposed on said bar and compressed between said gripping members and their respective adjacent abutment members; in combination with a flexible tension member extending between and having its ends secured to said respective upwardly projecting apertured fastening portions of the gripping members, and an attaching loop formed at the medial portion of said tension member to be engaged by a lifting device, whereby a lifting force applied to said attaching loop will supplement the force supplied by said springs for urging said members towards each other.

3. Handling and hoisting tongs comprising, a rigid connecting and handling bar formed with a series of spaced transverse holes therethrough; a pair of opposed gripping members slidably disposed on said bar; resilient means for urging said gripping members towards each other comprising, removable abutment pins disposed in and projecting from said holes exteriorly of said gripping members, and coil springs slidably disposed on said bar between said gripping members and their respective adjacent abutment pins; and stop pins disposed in said transverse holes inwardly from said respective gripping members to limit the inward movement thereof; in combination with a flexible tension member extending between and having its ends secured to said respective gripping members, an attaching loop being formed medially in said tension member to be engaged by a lifting device.

4. Handling and hoisting tongs comprising, a rigid connecting and handling bar, a pair of opposed gripping members slidably disposed on said bar, said members having depending hook portions openings towards each other, adjustable abutment members carried by said bar exteriorly of said respective gripping members, and compressible springs disposed on said bar between said gripping members and their respective adjacent abutment members, in combination with a flexible tension member extending between and having its ends secured to said respective gripping members, the medial portion of said tension member being arranged for engagement with a lifting device.

5. Handling and hoisting tongs comprising, a rigid connecting and handling bar, a pair of oppositely facing hooks slidably disposed on said bar relative to each other, and resilient means for urging said hooks towards each other, a pair of adjutable stops carried by said bar and serving to limit the movement of said gripping members to- Wards each other, in combination with a tension member extending between and secured to said hooks, the medial portion of said tension member being adapted for engagement by a lifting device and portions thereof on opposites of said medial portion being swingable relative to each other, whereby a lifting force applied to said medial portion will urge said hooks towards each other.

6. Handling and hoisting tongs comprising, a rigid connecting and handling bar, a pair of opposed gripping members slidably disposed on said bar, said members having depending hook portions opening towards each other, adjustable abutment members carried by said bar exteriorly of said respective gripping members, and compressible springs disposed on said bar between said gripping members and their respective adjacent abutment members for urging said gripping.

members towards each other.

ROBERT W. WEEKS. RUSSELL L. BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,035,728 Peck Aug. 13, 1912 1,099,362 Hatter June 9, 1914 1,184,891 Sunderland May 30, 1916 1,345,112 Andrew June 29, 1920 2,120,639 Buente June 14, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,620 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1913 

